King of Hearts
by Sylvyr Elf
Summary: Rogue has been kidnapped by the Accolytes, but when Gambit learns what they are going to do can he live with himself. Serious Romy, kinda onesided.


(Recommended music: Jessica Simpson, Take My Breath Away.)

King of Hearts.

Remy's day started out just like any other. There was no way he could possibly know that this day would change everything. That everything he knew would be over before the day ended. 

He reluctantly woke from his dreams of the belle femme from the other side. The beautiful Rogue. He had been dreaming about her since the first time they had met on the battlefield. Although lately the dreams had been different, they had been more about her, and less about him. He had avoided thinking too much about what that might mean. 

After waking he lay in bed and remembered the dream. The gentle touches that he would never be able to give her. He considered allowing himself to slip back into the gentle folds of slumber and spend a few more minutes in her arms, but the sound of Sabretooth storming through the hallways banging on the doors of the other Acolytes dissuaded him. Being dragged from the bed by Sabretooth was not his ideal way of getting out of bed.

He hauled himself from the bed and grabbed a clean pair of clothes and headed for the shower. He passed Sabretooth, as he exited St. John's room dragging the young Aussi by his hair. 

"I'm up, I'm up!"  the redhead protested as Sabretooth pushed/dragged him towards the showers. Sabretooth dumped St. John ungraciously next to the shower room door. Remy stepped over his prone body.

"Man Gambit, how do you always manage to get up before he gets to you?"

Remy let out a little chuckle, "Dis Cajun only needed to get a wake up call like dat once. From den on he alway sleep light enough to hear de big guy come banging down de hall."

St. John simply snorted as Remy entered the shower. He stripped quickly out of the clothes he had worn the day before and slipped into the stall. He showered quickly, trying not to think about what it would be like to feel Rogue… definitely not a path he needed to go down this morning. Magneto had something big planned for today and he did not need to be distracting himself with images of the girl of his dreams. Remy turned the water to cold and quickly got out, drying off with a towel and slipping into his clean clothes.

He passed St. John and Colossus, who was leaning patiently against the wall of the hallway. He heard an unhappy yelp from St. John as Colossus entered before him.

"Hey you big lug, I was waiting first!"

Gambit chuckled as he strolled away. This was not the best life by far, but at least he was not living on the streets. He ducked into the small kitchen and dug some pop-tarts out of the cabinet. Magneto kept the kitchen stocked with junk food and little else, after all, they were bachelors and most of them did not cook. Remy had kept it to himself that he was a fairly good cook, he did not want to wind up forced to cook every meal on top of being a soldier to Magneto.

He threw the silver wrapper into the trash bin and headed outside. The base was built into the cliff of a mountain just outside D.C. There was a little ledge he liked to go sit on that had a nice view and he had thirty minutes before Magneto's meeting.

He sat down and leaned his back against a rock taking in the view. It was quiet and serene, if he had lived in a different world it was the kind of place he would have liked to take Rogue, maybe make love to her. He sighed and shook his head, she was out of his reach, and always would be. He had to face that fact, because nothing would ever change. Still it was reverently silent up here, and he could dream in peace…

"Yah overgrown furball! Let ma go now! Yah know the professah is going to send the X-men aftah yah. Make it easy on yahself and let ma go now!"

Remy's heart skipped a beat, he knew that heavy southern accent anywhere. Rogue! But what was she doing here?

"Sorry girlie, Magneto says you gotta stay," Remy recognized the growling voice of Sabretooth. "If you're real nice, maybe he'll let you leave in one piece when he's done with his plan. Maybe."

Remy followed the sound of the voices to the window of the dungeon cell in the base. It was built into the ledge and he had to kneel down to see in. 

Sure enough, Rogue was in the cell, and Sabretooth stood on the other side of the bars taunting her. 

"Well, could ya at least bring ma some food?" she sulked, crossing her arms over her chest and trying to look defiant. Her clothing was torn in several places and her hair was a tangled mess. She was the only woman he knew that could still look hot in circumstances like that. 

"Sorry, I guess I left my heart in my other coat. You can starve for all I care." 

Sabretooth turned and stalked from the cell. Remy's dislike for the cold blooded man, if you could call him a man, was quickly boiling into hate. What kind of person would deny a pretty girl some food? He dropped more fully into the window, so that he was kneeling on the window pane itself.

Rogue looked up at him and gasped. 

"Gambit, you two bit arrogant thief. Are you here to torment me too?" she sneered. She hated him, just another reason why it could never be. He was her enemy after all. Without a word Remy pulled the pop-tarts from his pocket and tossed them to her.

"Wha-" she looked up at him in confusion.

"Dis, two bit arrogant tief, got his heart in dis coat, Chere."

She sat down with her back to the wall, right under him where he could not see her. He could hear the sound of her eating. 

"What do you want with ma?" she asked.

What do I want with you? The idea teased Remy's mind, but he pushed it away.

"If Chere mean, what does Magneto want? Gambit does not know. He not even know you here until jus now."

Remy's watch beeped, a reminder that Magneto's meeting would start in just a few minutes. Maybe he could find out what Magneto was planning for Rogue. 

"How long you been here?" he asked.

"Two days. Why?"

He was running out of time

"Dis tief gotta go now," he said vanishing from the window. 

"Wait, Gambit git back here now!" her voice was angry, but he caught an undertone of desperation, and maybe a little loneliness too. It was almost enough to make him turn around and go back. Almost.

_I come back Chere, after de meeting. I promise._

Maybe somehow he could even find a way to let her go.

As he entered Magneto's office a metal ball the size of his fist hurled towards him and connected with his stomach, slamming him into the wall behind him. 

He cursed in French as he tried not to drop to the floor. 

"Tardiness is not accepted Gambit, you should already know this," Magneto reprimanded as the ball floated back to set on his desk. A quick glance around proved that Gambit was the last to arrive. "I do not tolerate waiting for my lackeys to appear when it pleases them."

"Sorry boss," Gambit tried to grin it off and lean nonchalantly against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, although he felt like curling in around his stomach. For an old guy Magneto sure could pack a punch.

"Two days ago Sabretooth captured one of the X-men under my orders. The girl known as Rogue. I have built a machine capable of turning humans into mutants. I will give Rogue enough of my magnetic powers to run the machine. From our current position all of D.C. will become mutants. That means that all of America's government will become mutants. The United States will become a stronghold and asylum for mutants. I myself intend to head up this government.

"Pietro, Colossus, it will be your job to watch for the X-men. The girl was supposed to be going on a private trip so it's possible she hasn't been missed, but better safe than sorry. Gambit, you will guard the girl. Sabretooth, Pyro, you will assist me. Any questions?"

"No offense boss, but why ain't you powering dis device youself?"

"Unfortunately, the device will completely drain all the power from the person who uses it. It's a small sacrifice to pay for us to gain a new freedom."

"You mean you gonna kill her?" Remy barely managed to keep his composure.

"What's the matter _Cajun_, going squeamish?" sneered Sabretooth, from his position at Magneto's right hand.

"Jus-jus a little startled. We never outright killed anyone before, Gambit wanna make sure he know de plan."

"You know the plan, now," remarked Magneto. "Go see to your part of it."

Gambit left the office hurriedly, heading towards the dungeon cells. He stopped in the kitchen and grabbed several more packets of junk food and some water. Rogue would still be hungry and probably thirsty, and he still had not had breakfast, but somehow he had lost his appetite. 

Rogue was curled up on a cot, asleep when Gambit entered the dungeon. He sat outside the cell and watched her sleep. He wondered how long it would be before Magneto was ready to hook her up to his machine…and murder her. 

Perhaps he could still help her escape, but what was he thinking? Magneto would surely order his death if he helped her escape now. This had gone beyond fascination with the fille. Beyond even obsession…he stopped himself before he could complete the thought. He dared not admit it even to himself.

Rogue stretched herself out of her sleep sometime around noon. 

"Morning, Chere," he greeted her, trying to keep his frustration out of his voice. 

"Gambit, what're ya doin here?"

"Dis tief thought you might be hungry," he replied, tossing he several packets of junk food and a bottle of water.

"Thanks," she replied, opening one of the packets and starting in. It was not until she had devoured a bag of chips and was halfway through the twinkies that she realized the normally talkative Cajun was leaning morosely against the wall, not saying a word. Not knowing exactly what to say she said the first thing that came to her mind. "Are ya trying to make ma all fat or something?"

He looked at her blankly.

"You're bringing ma all this junk food like you're trying to make ma fat and not look good."

Noting could make you look bad, Chere, he thought. But of course he could not voice his thoughts. But she had broken through his morose reverie.

"No," he rejoined. "Jus dat de metal head upstairs can't cook noting more complicated dan dat. So dat is what we eat."

"How do you keep you physique?" she asked, sending a thrill through his body as he realized that she was looking at him. Studying his well-formed body. He had to work very hard to keep himself calm. 

"Lots of exercise," he replied. Then trying to turn the conversation to anything more comfortable he asked, "You play cards?"

"A little," she replied. "But Ahm not good."

"Well, we have to see if we can do something about dat," he remarked lightly, getting out his deck and moving closer to the bars so they could play a game. 

"What's your pleasure Mademoiselle? Strip poker?" he asked with a hint of hope in his voice.

"Don't you just wish, try something else."

Don't I though. Remy dealt out the necessary cards for a game of Rummy, and tried not to think about her mouth.

The afternoon passed pleasantly and frighteningly quick. Remy had hoped that somehow he could make it last forever. But eventually Sabretooth came to take Rogue to the machine, and Remy followed behind as Sabretooth dragged her by the arm to the room where the machine was waiting. He leaned against the wall, acting casual, as Magneto explained what he would do. He wanted to cry at the determined way she set her face when he told her she would die. Wanted to do something to ease the pain in her eyes.

Eventually Magneto and Sabretooth left them alone again.

"You," she hissed vehemently. "Ya knew didn ya?"

Remy could not bring himself to look her in the eye, confirming her suspicions. 

"Ya did, and yet, ya sat there and played cards with me as if nothing was wrong."

Remy had no answer for her, what could he possibly say that would make things any better now? She would be dead before this day ended. Before the sun set…this woman…this belle fille…would be…

"Will it hurt, Gambit?" he looked up at her startled. There was a tremble in her voice, although she tried to hide it. She was scared. The woman he loved was scared. He sighed in resignation...now that he had admitted it…he knew that he could not take it anymore.

He crossed the room to stand in front of her. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a card, tucking it into the back pocket of her jeans as his arms encircled her in an embrace, he felt her stiffen, heard the slight intake of breath as his fingers brushed against her as he slid the card into her pocket, "Non, Chere, it will not hurt at all."

He was certain the machine would probably hurt, but there was no need to tell her that. Not now. 

"How dare you touch me, Gambit!" she raged.

"Hush now, Chere, de others are coming now. And de name is Remy, Remy LeBeau." 

He stepped back just as the others entered the room. He slipped silently out the door, hopefully unnoticed. Just down the hall was a locked door, the door behind which lay the inner workings of the machine. But a locked door had never stopped Remy before, and this was no exception. Within seconds he had opened the door and was inside the workings of the machine. He studied it, trying to figure out which pieces would move when the machine was activated.

He heard Rogue scream as she absorbed Magneto's power, and realized that he did not have time. Quickly he began to charge different parts of the machines inner workings. Once the machine started up, the parts would explode when they connected with each other. He heard a siren start up and figured that the X-men must have made an appearance. 

If he got enough of it charged maybe he would be able to start off the chain reaction with a card, then he would not have to wait for it to start. He never got the chance. A strong arm wrapped around his neck as his arm was twisted uncomfortably behind his back.

"I figured you might be stupid enough to try something like this," Sabretooth growled.

"Really, why? Gambit don be no traitor, not 'til now anyway." 

He hoped to keep the killer talking, maybe prolong his time. He did not know why really, he knew he was going to die. Had known it from the moment she had asked him if it would hurt. The moment he knew he would rather die, than let her die. But he would not go down easily, he would fight to keep her alive, and the longer he kept this ape busy, the more chance there was that the X-men could rescue her. 

Sabretooth chuckled as he growled into his ear, "You know why? Because you call for her in your sleep. Like a little baby, calling for his mommy. You've called for her for months now. No one but me could have heard you. It was so much fun watching you pine after her, all that agony you put yourself through. Do you think she could ever love you?" 

Sabretooth twisted his arm painfully as he asked the question.

"No," Remy ground out. "I never really did."

"Guess, you'll never find out will you?" growled Sabretooth with a last savage twist. Remy cried in shock as there was a loud snapping sound simultaneous to waves of pain shooting up his arm. Sabretooth threw him viciously to the floor. "Cuz one or the other of you is going to die tonight. Either you retract that charge, and let the machine do its work and she dies, or I rip your traitorous heart out and you die."

Better me than her, thought Remy, as he got to his feet and lurched farther away from the maniac, clutching at his broken arm.

Sabretooth laughed at his effort, "You can't get away you know."

At that instant the machine started humming and sprang to life. Almost instantaneously it exploded as the parts that Remy had lit up collided with each other. The explosion threw Remy into the wall. 

Sabretooth was on him in a second, pinning him to the ground by his broken arm as his claws lashed out and caught the younger mutant in the back tearing through his coat and the back of his shirt. He had no armor on his back. Pain racked through his body as time and again the claws ripped through his flesh.

Sabretooth lifted the weight from his arm and viciously flipped him over, Remy heard the scream of pain that ripped from his throat when his torn back hit the ground, but he did not remember telling his voice to scream. He pressed his knee into Remy's chest to hold him down and licked the blood from his claws.

"Animal," Remy managed to croak. 

"Don't ever forget it," Sabretooth growled. The edge of Remy's vision was going black, the loss of blood was making him dizzy, and things seemed to be spinning. He felt Sabretooth scrabbling at the armor over his chest. 

"You care so much for her, I think I'll take her your heart," he growled, as he succeeded in ripping the armor from his chest. "Isn't that what you wanted, to give her your heart? Show her how much you care? I'll take it to her still warm with your blood…and force it down her throat!"

Remy was becoming lost in a sea of black. He realized that he was dying. He turned his head from Sabretooth's bloody face and focused on his armor, lying only a few inches from his undamaged hand. It was a shame that he had not managed to land a singe blow to Sabretooth during this fight. 

He was going to die without striking a single blow? Not likely. 

Sabretooth had fought dirty and quick, but Remy had one last trick up his sleeve. He pushed his hand those last few inches barely feeling the claw that cut through the flesh and muscle encasing his heart and felt the last of his energy go out of him and into the armor. With the last of his strength he brought it up and slammed it into Sabretooth's head, barely registering the explosion as the world faded to black.

AN: Thank you all readers, King of Hearts has gotten a greater response than any other story I've ever written. The sequel, The Fool, in now also on ffn.

If you have found my story through a site other than ffn could you please let me know, I'm interested in finding out how many extra readers I get through other sites. Thank you so much.


End file.
